Beach Sheoak (Casuarina equisetifolia) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Ironwood is an evergreen coastal tree native to Australia and tropical Asia. Its thin, drooping green twigs look like pine needles, but ironwood is a flowering plant with small, woody fruits that resemble pine cones.

Appearance

Appearance: Long, drooping green twigs have joints and tiny scale leaves. Small, woody fruits resemble miniature pine cones.
Growth form: An evergreen tree that can grow about 50–100 ft (15–30 m) tall.
Fruit: Woody, cone-like fruit releases small winged seeds.

Look-alikes

gray sheoakCasuarina glauca

In Florida, beach sheoak is common on beaches and bears small woody cones. Gray sheoak often grows in dense roadside stands and usually does not fruit there; twigs alone may be hard to separate.

Why they get mixed upBoth have thin, drooping green twigs.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Florida beaches
coastal sandy ground
Range: Introduced in coastal Florida, especially in the south, where it is invasive and can spread into dense stands and change coastal habitat; its native range lies around Australia and tropical Asia.

Name and classification

About the name: Also called beach sheoak. In Florida, it is also called Australian pine.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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